The Beaver Builder logo.

Does This Veteran Tool Still Pack a Punch?

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On this publish, we’re going to provide you an in-depth 💡 Beaver Builder evaluation. All through it, we’ll talk about what it’s, why it’s higher than the competitors in some instances, a few of its professionals and cons, and the way a lot it prices.

First, let’s speak about what the web page builder plugin gives. 😎

📚 Desk of contents:

The Beaver Builder logo.

Beaver Builder is among the oldest web page builder plugins round. The event staff has constructed an excellent popularity for stability and the plugin has a excessive satisfaction fee amongst its person base. 🥊 That is for just a few causes, however its wealthy set of options and performance performs a giant half:

  • You employ a visible drag-and-drop editor to construct your website layouts.
  • Beaver Builder gives flexibility with different themes and plugins – you may adapt to your personal setup with out fuss.
  • There are many methods to show parts and content material in your web page. For instance, you need to use widgets or shortcodes.
  • You’ll discover a lot of integrations with different standard third-party options too. As an example, you may hyperlink your email marketing platform, different WordPress plugins, contact kind plugins, and extra.
  • The interface is mostly secure, and it’s uncommon to come across bugs.

⌛ Nonetheless, it’s extra related to debate what Beaver Builder gives that different plugins don’t. We’ll clarify why within the subsequent part.

Why you’d need to use Beaver Builder over different web page builders

Beaver Builder is an answer that’s featured elsewhere on the CodeinWP blog. In truth, in that roundup, we observe how a lot of web page builder plugins provide the same set of options and performance.

Basically, you’d need to use a web page builder (and by extension, Beaver Builder) for just a few causes. For starters, you will have larger flexibility with regards to design selections. Granted, this hole is closing in comparison with the Block Editor, however there’s nonetheless extra flexibility in an excellent web page builder plugin.

👉 Nonetheless, there are just a few distinctive factors that Beaver Builder can provide that aren’t as outstanding as different plugins:

  • For starters, you need to use the Beaver Themer add-on choice to comprise your entire expertise throughout the one interface. This implies you may construct your complete theme utilizing Beaver Builder, together with your headers and footers.
  • You’re additionally capable of ‘white-label’ Beaver Builder. For those who develop websites for others, it will imply your shoppers received’t see any Beaver Builder branding. It may not be necessary for all customers, however Elementor doesn’t currently include this feature in any respect.
  • You should use Beaver Builder on as many websites as you want as a result of all licenses assist limitless websites. This will increase the worth of the plugin and allows you to work on new websites utilizing its performance with out worry.
  • There isn’t a ‘lock-in’ with Beaver Builder. That is the place a plugin or theme will depart behind shortcodes all through your content material. It may be a nightmare in the event you ever need to change options. Beaver Builder is considered one of just a few standard web page builder plugins that leaves your underlying code and content material ‘clear.’

In and of itself, Beaver Builder is an excellent plugin. 👍 A part of it is because it’s easy and intuitive to make use of. Within the subsequent part, we’ll speak about this additional.

Beaver Builder evaluation: navigate the interface

For many web page builder plugins, there are two aspects: the builder itself and the styling of your design. Within the subsequent part, we’ll take a look at each. To start out, let’s talk about 💬 the builder and what you are able to do with it.

construct a structure 🚧

Beaver Builder has a lot of pre-built templates so that you can select from, and a few versatile methods to start the creating course of. As with different web page builder plugins, you may spin up a brand new web page or publish as regular, then use the related modifying hyperlink:

A Block Editor page showing the Beaver Builder launch dialog.

For those who click on the Plus icon on the right-hand facet, you’ll open up a dialog display. From right here, you may select a template. Or, you may choose to simply create your design from a clean slate:

The different template you can choose from within Beaver Builder.

As soon as the template populates your display, you’ll use the full-screen structure, with parts hidden off-screen, very like the block editor. Once more, you’ll entry the module checklist from the right-hand facet of the display:

The list of modules within Beaver Builder.

We like the best way the modules are in teams, as this makes it simpler to search out and select the precise one on your wants. When you drag and drop the module onto the web page, you utilize the pop-up window to change its choices:

The different module options within Beaver Builder.

It’s additionally good you can shift these floating home windows right into a left-hand widget space. That method, you will have extra consistency and might see the web page in full.

model your design 🎨

It’s inside these floating home windows that you simply additionally entry styling choices. There are two tabs right here apart from Common: Fashion and Superior. These provide a unique set of selections. The previous handles facets parts similar to formatting, typography selections, and padding:

Beaver Builder's Style tab.

In distinction, the Superior tab is the place you’ll discover extra developer-centric choices. Right here, you’ll regulate margin spacing, set HTML tags, breakpoints for smaller screens, and extra:

Beaver Builder's Advanced tab.

That is typical fare for many editors, and there’s nothing to shock you right here. That is each good and unhealthy. On the one hand, you get a typical and acquainted set of choices. In spite of everything, there are solely so many choices, and it makes logical sense to organize them on this method. Nonetheless, on the flip facet, Beaver Builder doesn’t stand out on these kinds of options.

Talking of which, let’s try to sum up Beaver Builder in our penultimate part.

Beaver Builder evaluation: The great and the unhealthy

There’s lots throughout the Beaver Builder package deal, and it’s price summing up simply what’s nice and never so nice concerning the plugin. It’s no shock that the positives 👍 are quite a few:

  • The interface is sweet to work with and pleasing to the attention. This makes it extra usable, too.
  • There are a variety of parts to select from and customization choices to tweak. You’ll haven’t any issues with constructing your website with what’s on provide.
  • The customer support is incredible and is among the highlights of Beaver Builder. It’s the kind of assist different customers rave about, and it’s typical of what an excellent WordPress enterprise ought to provide.
  • In contrast to options similar to Divi, Avada, and others, Beaver Builder retains your code clear. This implies it doesn’t use shortcodes underneath the hood to construct layouts and means you may transfer away from Beaver Builder if you want sooner or later. All issues equal, Beaver Builder additionally hundreds a bit quicker than different web page builders.
  • Beaver Builder has an excellent popularity with regards to stability. It’s fairly uncommon to come across bugs or different glitches.
  • As a result of all Beaver Builder plans assist limitless websites, it may be very cost-effective in the event you’re searching for a builder for a number of web sites.

Nonetheless, not all the things is ideal, 👎 as you’d count on. Whereas the plugin itself doesn’t have too many poor areas, there are some things to notice:

  • In order for you entry to full theme constructing assist, you might want to buy the separate Beaver Themer plugin, which is $147 on prime of the $99 for Beaver Builder Professional.
  • Beaver Builder doesn’t have as many options as another plugins. For instance, you don’t get a pop-up builder like Elementor Professional, nor do you get as many design choices.
  • For those who solely want a builder for a single website, Beaver Builder’s worth is pricey if you evaluate it to different plugins. For instance, Beaver Builder prices $99 to be used on limitless websites, whereas Elementor Professional has an inexpensive $49 single-site license (although Elementor Professional is costlier in the event you’re utilizing it on a lot of websites).

ℹ️ We’ll speak about this final level subsequent, because it’s price going right into a bit extra element. From there, you’ll have all the things you might want to decide on whether or not Beaver Builder is best for you.

Beaver Builder evaluation: The pricing

First, let’s define what Beaver Builder costs 💰 throughout its totally different tiers:

  • Commonplace. That is $99 per 12 months, and received’t embody the Beaver Builder theme, white labeling, or WordPress Multisite capabilities. For most individuals, that is the very best plan (extra on this under).
  • Professional. For $199 per 12 months, you get the theme and Multisite performance, however nonetheless no white label choice.
  • Company. This tier provides you your entire Beaver Builder expertise, together with the white label choice, for $399 per 12 months.

In order for you entry to theme constructing, you’ll additionally have to buy the separate Beaver Themer add-on, which prices $147 on prime of the core plugin.

As a result of all of Beaver Builder’s plans assist use on limitless websites, it may be very cost-effective in the event you want a builder for many websites. For instance, Elementor Pro has a lot stricter website limits, so it may possibly shortly get costly if you might want to construct 25+ websites.

Nonetheless, in the event you’re solely constructing a single website, Beaver Builder can really be fairly costly since you’re unable to unfold the price of its limitless method throughout a number of websites.

Moreover, Beaver Builder doesn’t provide a lifetime license choice like Divi, so that you’ll have to renew your license yearly if you wish to proceed receiving assist and updates. You do get a 30% renewal low cost, although, which makes {that a} bit simpler to abdomen.

Which is the very best Beaver Builder plan?

Most customers shall be positive with the most cost effective Commonplace plan, which prices $99. This plan already will get you entry to the full-featured builder, although you miss out on the Beaver Builder Theme.

Whereas the Beaver Builder Theme is a positive theme, now you can discover a variety of high-quality free themes that use the identical multipurpose, customizable method.

📌 For instance, the free Neve theme pairs nice with Beaver Builder and gives much more customization choices than the Beaver Builder Theme. Different lightweight themes similar to Astra, GeneratePress, and OceanWP additionally make nice choices.

Excluding the Beaver Builder Theme, the one causes you may need to improve are as follows:

  • If you wish to use Beaver Builder on a WordPress multi-site community, you’ll want a minimum of the $199 Professional plan.
  • If you wish to white-label the Beaver Builder interface (e.g. for consumer websites), you’ll need the $399 Company plan.

Closing ideas on our Beaver Builder evaluation 🏁

Web page builder plugins are actually an virtually important piece of the WordPress puzzle. Nonetheless, arriving at a call might be tough as a result of there are such a lot of high quality web page builder plugins to select from. This Beaver Builder evaluation appears at one of many oldest and hottest in the marketplace.

The interface is stellar, and the design capabilities are very good. It additionally gives nice stability, clear code (for a web page builder), and it may be very inexpensive in the event you’re constructing a variety of websites as a result of all of its plans assist limitless utilization.

Companies constructing consumer web sites may also like that Beaver Builder helps white-labeling, as many different web page builder plugins don’t.

Nonetheless, Beaver Builder might be costly in the event you solely want a builder for a single website, particularly if you wish to add full theme constructing assist through Beaver Themer. Elementor Professional can be extra inexpensive for a single website, and Divi can nonetheless provide higher worth in the event you want theme constructing.

Moreover, Beaver Builder doesn’t provide fairly as many options and design choices as instruments like Elementor and Divi. In order for you all of the bells and whistles, similar to a pop-up builder and/or heaps of favor choices, you is likely to be happier with a kind of instruments.

For those who assume Beaver Builder’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses on your wants, it’s a great option.

Do you agree with our Beaver Builder evaluation? If not, tell us your ideas within the feedback part under!

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